


Headshot

by Jen425



Series: Enter the Game [4]
Category: Kamen Rider - All Media Types, Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, Tokusatsu
Genre: But Not To Kiyonaga, Gen, Happy Father’s Day, Houjou Emu Needs A Hug, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Kyoutarou went to the Hanaya Taiga school of accidentally adopting gamer children in need of dads, Novel References, Shitty dads get punched in the face!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:09:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24845830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jen425/pseuds/Jen425
Summary: “Do you think I’ll make a good doctor?”
Relationships: Hinata Kyoutarou & Houjou Emu
Series: Enter the Game [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1766104
Comments: 8
Kudos: 29





	Headshot

**Author's Note:**

> Hello I’m posting this early (which mean no fic next Wednesday, sorry) because on Father’s Day I say FUCK HOJO KIYONAGA

“Do you think I’ll make a good doctor?”

The words come out in a rush, the moment you answer the call, so it takes you a second to go back over them.

“Where is this coming from?” Is the first question you ask, because obviously this is a question out of context. Emu had been nine years old when he’d told you he wanted to be a doctor and hadn’t much wavered since then, now with an internship and half way through medical school.

“Nowhere…” Emu says, unconvincingly. “I just… Was thinking about it, I guess. I only wanted to become a doctor because you saved me. Is that… is that enough for me to be the right person for it?”

Oh. Wow. That is…

That is an incredibly complicated question, which you cannot quickly come up with an answer to.

“Would you like to continue this conversation in person, this evening?” You ask. “I feel like this is a conversation we should be having face to face. We can get dinner.”

“Y-yeah,” Emu replies, after a moment. “That sounds good.”

  
  
  


You don’t talk about it immediately, because you’ve pushed enough to have this conversation in person. Emu’s never much liked talking explicitly about things that are hurting him, so most conversations of this kind have been indirect.

Which is why it surprises you when he gets right to the point.

“My… my father,” Emu says, suddenly. “He’s… he’s at the hospital I’m interning at. Pneumonia.”

…that would be it.

As always, it had never been anything explicit. No lack of food or home or clothing, no physical signs you could see. But you have no doubt that Hojo Kiyonaga is a terrible father— _ no _ , he doesn’t even deserve that much credit because he had done  _ nothing  _ for Emu, and Emu has suffered for it. You know Emu hasn’t spoken to him since moving out with the money he made from competitions, back in high school.

“I told him I was in medical school,” Emu continues. “And he asked…”

He’s shaking.

“He asked if I was qualified to save lives,” he says. “After I… after I…”

He’s shaking, so you reach across the table and place your hand over his. It’s not that you’ve never hugged him, but it is a public restaurant. And he’s hurting, so you’re still there.

Back before you had admitted how attacked you really were to the boy, now young man, it  _ had _ been your main form of physical affection, and it had hurt you how surprised he was by it, only slightly more than it did the way he’d immediately turn his hand around to hold your own properly and then squeeze.

He still does that, though.

Furthermore: you have a suspicion of how that sentence ends, and don’t much care if you’re right.

(You will never forget an injured boy asking you  _ why didn’t the game reset? _ )

“It doesn’t matter what reasons he gave,” you say, squeezing his hand in return. “Because I am so proud of you, and I know you’ll be a great doctor.”

Emu nods.

“Yeah,” he says. “I don’t know, maybe it’s just that it’s been years, but I never felt so… alone, when I was with him, before. It just…”

“I’m sorry,” you say. “But I know you will make an excellent doctor, Emu.”

He’s still clutching your hand, but he nods, which is… good enough, for today.

“Thank you, Doctor Kyoutaro,” he says. “I’m so glad you believe in me.”

“Of course,” you reply. “Speaking of which, how did that test you were worrying about a few weeks ago go?”

“Well…”

  
  
  


You go into the hospital, the next day, and locate that man’s information. And then, when he’s discharged a few day later, you go to his house. He stares at you, in the doorway.

“Who are you?” He asks. You don’t move a single muscle as you answer.

“I’m Hojo Emu’s doctor,” you say. “What the hell did you say to that boy?”

“My son?” The bastard asks. “I just asked him why he thought he could be a doctor. Not after what he did…”

“And just what did he do?” You ask, icily. The man blinks.

“I remember you,” he says. “You were there when he failed me.”

Oh.

Oh hell no.

If he had said that to Emu, you would…

“His suicide attempt?” You ask. “Yes, I saved his life, and I’ve been in contact with him ever since.”

“I can’t seem to remember you,” the bastard replies. “I apologize.”

You stare it him. Emu called you twice a week, as a child, and Hojo Kiyonaga had not known.

“You’re not worthy of being Emu’ father,” you say at last. “No—you are a  _ terrible  _ person, and I hope you know how you’ve treated my patient makes you deserve far worse than I could ever willingly give you.”

You don’t even realize what you’re doing until you’ve punched him in the face.

“Don’t you ever speak to my patient like that ever again,” you say. “No - never speak to him at  _ all _ .”

“He visited me,” Hojo Kiyonaga argues.

“Does it look like I care?” You ask. The terrible man just glares.

You walk away without another word.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr @flaim-ita or @dancingqueen-mai for just Toku


End file.
